Basic human decency dictates if the federal government is fair dinkum about helping people affected by water reform in the Northern Murray Darling Basin they must finance specific programs to generate jobs in the four major impacted towns.
The Basin Plan has had a major impact on four towns in the Northern Basin and while the federal government has made sure the irrigators are properly compensated the communities of Wee Waa, Warren, Collarenabri and Dirranbandi have all been devastated according to the Murray Darling Basin Authority’s socio-economic analysis.
There will be public debate about the ability of other communities capacity to mange the changes, but the reality is that the biggest effects are concentrated in four communities where much of the water for the environment has been recovered and where any efforts to manage impacts should be concentrated.
History has taught us governments doing the same old thing does not work, such as continuing to throw money at infrastructure which in most cases doesn’t change much.
For example, in Collarenabri $7 million was spent on the local school, only to see student numbers go from 200 to 79. It is job generation that will make a difference.
If we want to help these places there are two main options that could shift the dial in the locals’ favour.
First is targeting support for local businesses run by motivated people who believe they can grow and create new jobs.
Some cash might be useful but support to develop skills, strategies, networks and markets will pay greater dividends.
Governments spend huge amounts of cash on social services, particularly where there are large indigenous communities with high unemployment and where anything up to 54 separate organisations fly into some communities weekly with no meaningful jobs generated.
The problem is there is no discernible improvement for indigenous people and redirecting the large amounts of cash that flow into services to job creation is an option that must be on the table.
We know from experience if we establish good working relationships with experienced business people prepared to mentor that sustainable jobs can be generated.
Let’s change the government acceptance that these communities will die. Let's back anyone in these communities doing it tough who wants to have a genuine go at changing things.
It will be a major failure of Malcolm Turnbull's government if we sit back and watch these communities slowly shrivel and die.